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Jan 30, 2018

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Theatrical vs commercial, the differencešŸ‘‡ āŒ First Theatrical vs commercial, the differencešŸ‘‡

āŒ First, stop asking if a photographer specializes in ā€œcommercialā€ or ā€œtheatricalā€ headshots.

Here’s the truth: ā¬

āŒ Your headshot session shouldn’t be about just commerical looks or theatrial looks.

āœ… If you play the Love Interest in a one hour drama, you can also play the Love Interest in a commercial (maybe on a date!).

āœ… The ā€œOffice Guyā€ in a procedural is the same ā€œlookā€ as the ā€œOffice Guyā€ in a commercial.

✨ 90% of headshot looks are actually crossover looks.

So, what changes from commercial to theatrical?

šŸ‘ŽšŸ» Not smiley vs. non-smiley.

šŸ’šŸ¼ā€ā™€ļø Your ESSENCE.

The ā€œBlue Collar Workerā€ in a Target commercial has a different feeling, a different story, than the ā€œBlue Collar Workerā€ in a show like Landman.

Your headshot session shouldn’t be just about capturingā€œsmiley vs. non-smiley.ā€

šŸ‘‰ It should be about capturing an emotional arc from a bright, commercial essence, to a grounded, theatrical one for each crossover look.

You DON’T need two different headshot photographers.

You need one photographer who directs you like an ACTOR, so you showcase the arc of the character and provide headshots for both your commercial and theatrical agent in one session.

šŸ‘£ Follow if this makes sense to you thespian!
You’re doing headshots wrong if you’re posing šŸ‘‡ Y You’re doing headshots wrong if you’re posing šŸ‘‡

You’re an actor not a model.

You act on camera, you don’t pose on camera.

Your job is to embody the essence of the character, to showcase the roles you’d audition for.

The photographer’s job is to direct you so your personality comes through as that character.

šŸ¤— Hi, I’m Vanie (Vah-nee), the LA headshot photographer for actors who don’t like to pose.

I play improv games with you so your headshots are specific and personality driven and get you the auditions you deserve.

šŸ‘£ Share with your favorite actor if this resonates!
How much do acting headshots cost?šŸ‘‡ šŸ¤” The $200 se How much do acting headshots cost?šŸ‘‡

šŸ¤” The $200 session here, the $300 session there... it adds up. You end up spending MORE in the long run on headshots that don’t work.

Spend another $200, then another $400 six months later. A whole year passes with no results, and your agent’s frustration grows.

āœ… The smart actor makes the choice to invest ONCE in a professional headshot photographer that gets results from the start.

āœ… A headshot session that can pay for itself with a single booking.
 
āŒThe real cost isn’t just the money.

šŸ‘‰It’s the 12 months of career stagnation. It’s the pilot season you just missed. It’s the confidence you lose every time you hit ā€œsubmitā€ and don’t get called in.

An investment in your career isn’t an expense. It’s a marketing tool to get you working.

šŸ”ƒ Share this with an actor whose career is stuck.
As a Los Angeles headshot photographer, I’ve photo As a Los Angeles headshot photographer, I’ve photographed over 6,000 actors in my 26+ years in this biz.

šŸ‘†These are 5 hard truths I’ve learned about acting headshots that actually get you auditions.

Need help figuring out your specific, marketable looks?

Comment ✨LOOKS✨ below and I’II send you my free Look Guide. 

šŸ”ƒ Share these insights with your favorite actor!
Don’t know how to figure out your looks?šŸ‘‡ āš”ļøComme Don’t know how to figure out your looks?šŸ‘‡

āš”ļøComment with the word ✨looks✨ and I’ll send you my Ultimate Look Guide for actors looking to get headshots.

You’ll learn:

āœ… The categories in your age group

āœ… The specific headshot looks in those categories agents and managers are asking for right now!

šŸ”ƒ If you found this helpful share it with another actor in your stories or on your feed!
Your acting headshot is not just a nice picturešŸ‘‡ Your acting headshot is not just a nice picturešŸ‘‡

🚫 That’s a trap most novice actors fall into.

āœ… Instead, your headshots need to 1ļøāƒ£, market you SPECIFICALLY for the type you’re auditioning for and 2ļøāƒ£, bring out your personality.

✨ Your type, or what I call a ā€œmarketing look,ā€ is based on your age range.

If your age range is 18 to 23, your marketing looks may include ā€œthe guy next doorā€ or ā€œthe hipster.ā€

šŸ‘‰ If you don’t know what looks to choose, COMMENT with the word ā€œlooksā€ and I’ll send you my look guide.

✨ Your personality is what’s going to sell you for the role you’re auditioning for. 

So it’s really important you work with a photographer who can bring out authentic expressions.

šŸ”ƒ Share this with your newbie friends and hit the heart if you learned something new!
Commercial vs. theatricalšŸ‘‡ āž”ļø If you need help fi Commercial vs. theatricalšŸ‘‡

āž”ļø If you need help figuring out the looks that are right for you in your age group, comment with the work ✨LOOKS✨ and I’ll send you my Ultimate Look Guide!

āŒ Stop asking if a headshot photographer shoots ā€œcommercialā€ or ā€œtheatrical.ā€

Here’s the truth: The line has completely blurred.

āŒ Your ā€œOffice Girlā€ look isn’t just for commercials.

āœ… You’re also the ā€œOffice Girlā€ in a one-hour drama.

āœ… The ā€œGamerā€ in a sitcom is the same ā€œtypeā€ as the ā€œGamerā€ in a procedural.

What changes is the context.

So, what actually changes in an actor headshot to convey commercial vs. theatrical?

Your ESSENCE.

✨ The ā€œMomā€ in a Target commercial has a different feeling, a different story, than the ā€œMomā€ in Ozark.

Your headshot photography session isn’t just about ā€œsmiley vs. non-smiley.ā€

āš”ļøIt should be about capturing an emotional arc for each look—from a bright, commercial essence to a grounded, theatrical one.

šŸ“øIf you’re in LA, you don’t need two different Los Angeles headshot photographers.

You need one photographer who directs you like an ACTOR, so you showcase both.

šŸ”ƒ If you agree, share this post with another actor!
Confused about brand vs. Looks?šŸ‘‡ I got you thespi Confused about brand vs. Looks?šŸ‘‡

I got you thespian!

First, your overarching brand helps nail your headshot looks.

🚫 Clarifying your brand as an actor does NOT mean you can’t play a large range of characters.

It just means, you have more clarity on how to CHOOSE the range of characters (or headshot looks) you can play.

āŒ NOT EVERYONE CAN SELL EVERY CHARACTER.

āœ… What is believable is based on your look AND your essence combined.

So knowing your overarching brand makes it easier to market yourself EFFECTIVELY.

By the way, if you haven’t downloaded my Ultimate Look Guide, reply to this story with the word ✨looks✨ and I’ll send it to you.

But I digress...

For example.

If your brand is ā€œThe wide-eyed, sweet, small town girl with an appetite for adventureā€, then your headshot looks might include the following:

⚔Mid-Western friend

⚔Love Interest

⚔Girls’ Night Out

⚔Heroine in the making

What wouldn’t match your brand are the following looks:

ā›”ļøGamer

ā›”ļøHipster

ā›”ļøAnti-heroine

ā›”ļøVillain

Does this make sense??šŸ‘‡

Like and re-post to help your fellow thespian! šŸŽ­

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